to want to start my maternity leave on my due date?

[HulaHunter]

Never had children before so have no idea how naive I'm being... is it completely nuts of me to want to start my maternity leave on my actual due date? I work in an office, have a very easy commute (4 minutes walk, 30 minute train, 4 minutes walk door to door). I can get a taxi for less that £2 if I need to.

I would obviously start my leave earlier if I absolutely needed to, but want as much time with baby as possible as I can't afford to take more than 6 months (my maternity package is rubbish).

Anyone have any advice on a new mum to be?

Is the mat pay and leave in the civil service rubbish now? Tbf I left over 10 years ago by when I was a civil servant they paid 6 months full pay

I've put down my due date with all 3 pregnancies, if you have baby early it just starts when baby is born. First time I worked up until 37 weeks and had annual leave, then baby was born at 39+6, second baby I worked till 38+3 and had baby at 40+2. This time I'm so tired so going at 35+5 and using up annual leave.

As others have discussed, mine had to start on a sunday, and due to my job had to start 4 weeks before my due date, but that was nhs policy.
Because of this though, I was off for 4 weeks, and those were the best 4 weeks I'd had in a long time. So relaxing and exciting. Don't under estimate the rest, because you won't get another 😂

I was supposed to start on my due date. But, as it happened, dd1 was two weeks late, so they let me carry on going to work every day after my due date, until she was born so that my mat leave didn't start till then. I was very grateful for it at the other end.

baked already explained it's because I have less than 52 weeks in service where I currently work, even though I've been a civil servant for a while. If I had 6 more weeks I would get the full amount.

My first daughter was due on the 15th, I worked until the 22nd and then had her on the 25th so yes you can start as late as you want! Pregnant with my 3rd now and planning to start maternity on my due date!

I started mine officially on my due date, took the couple of weeks before off as holiday, started the mat leave officially on the due date and then baby arrived 4 days later, but I knew I was being induced on my due date so had at least some idea.

The latest you can start mat leave is your due date.

I planned to work right up then I decided to use 2 weeks holiday. But actually it's a struggle now and I may see about bringing it forward a week. I have a similar commute to you and work in an office.

I would say try and keep an open mind about it. When I was 20 weeks I wasn't even planning on using 2 weeks holiday but now getting about is more difficult and I really need to stop work now.

Have you spoken to your employer about how flexible they will be with regards to going on mat leave?

As it's your first you will have the freedom to work as late as you can.
I think tho by law you have to finish no later than the Sunday before your due date.
I'd recommend you do it if you can as it will give you more time the other side.
Keeping in mind that you nearly always go overdue with your first baby.
I ended up with 3 weeks hanging around the house... went off a week before due date then she was nearly 2 weeks late. Felt like a waste of time!
But then you might be too tired / uncomfortable. See how you feel

I started on my due date and I was 2 weeks late. I was so pissed that I missed out on 2 weeks!! Haha.

My maternity leave starts on my due date so it can be done.. however, I had 6 weeks annual leave to use so I've left work at 34 weeks.

If you think you can do it then go for it, just be prepared to want to go earlier, even if it's just a week or so.

I started mine on my due date but worked the last 2 weeks from home, could you do that? I could have made it into the office but it was so warm I needed to be at home with as little as possible clothing on bouncing on my ball.

I was supposed to finish up at 38 weeks but extended and so glad I did as I went 11 days over and would have gone out of my mind. I had everything organized for the baby from about week 32 so had nothing to do.

It will all depend on how you feel towards the end, you may be fine or completely fed up!

Also, I work in the NHS so many of the policies are the same as civil service

I planned to leave 3 weeks before due date for a rest as I have a stressful job and was doing quite a difficult multi stage commute in the height of summer. Turned out that was too late because my son arrived two days into my last week of work! Best laid plans and all that...

The gov.uk site says nothing about anyone having to start maternity leave from the Sunday prior to, or the day before, the EDD.

Company policies may state that, but that's not the law. https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/leave

I went off at 37 weeks with my first, she decided to grace us with her presence at 42+1. Still no sense of urgency aged 8.

I think as long as you make work aware that it is your due date so if you go into labour early, your replacement is on stand by, why not? I work in a job where I am stood up all day and working upwards of 60 hours a week. I left on the Friday and went into labour on the Monday so I really did leave it till the last minute and was fine. Knackered but fine. Although dd came at bang on 38 weeks

I done exactly this, used some annual leave either side, time with your baby is so precious so if you can do it I would.

Don't worry to much about labour, it doesn't come that quickly or strongly that you wouldn't make it back (in most cases) just make sure if you have cramping feelings at work leave, if it comes to nothing then so be it

Congratulations!

Would you be planning to work up until due date? Or taking some annual leave but start actual ML on EDD?

Two very different propositions.

It's generally accepted that the latest you can start is your EDD or the date which you give birth, whichever is earliest. Your organisation may have their own rules if they provide occupation maternity.

Shouldnt you still have continuous service OP? Usually you can move around and keep that.

Go when you want. Just have a small bag at work with essentials in case you go into labour there. That is what i did.

Did you work for another CS department?

If so your service duration should count. Get them to double check for you - I nearly lost out on this because someone in HR picked up wrong that I had moved from one place to another but all within CS. Only because my line manager knew how it should work did I question it

2 weeks of your maternity leave have to be before your due date here in Ireland. If you want to start it later, you have to get a doctor willing to fudge the dates. No need for me.I couldn't wait to get the hell out of work!

I worked until the midwife asked me to get off my conference call and sent me upstairs to the maternity ward. Im proud of being hards as nails but i know i was lucky I'd been at the clinic for observations so had left work in the middle of the day and was still mid-project, I had put handover plans in place across the previous three months so didn't leave them in the lurch.

I agree with exfury, even if you move from one department to another within civil service I thought your time of service would be classed as continuous. I'm sure it would be for your pension. Don't forget you'll still accrue your annual leave and P&P leave, depending on when your leave year starts is it possible you run over 2 years and so could save some from this years pot and then use some from next year's pot. I did this and and had just under a year off with my first and just over a year with my second. I finished work 2 weeks before my due date DC1 was a week early and my waters broke spontaneously whilst I was out doing a bit of last minute shopping- that was rather embarrassing and DC2 was 5 days late. After what happened with my first i didn't venture very far with my second around my due date !!

I was planning to work up to my due date, but in all honesty I’m finding it a struggle. We are predicted a hot summer, so the next few weeks are going to be uncomfortable, and it is nice to have a week to yourself to do last minute nesting and watch bad TV. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you get closer and feel it’s time to leave.